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7. On the 10th June destroyers and light forces operated off St. Valery, in support of the 51st Division.

H.M. Destroyers Bulldog and Boadicea were damaged by bombs, and H.M. Destroyer Ambuscade by fire from a shore battery at Fécamp. Fog, which closed down after the small ships assembled for the operation had been driven to seaward by shell fire and air attack, interfered with attempts to evacuate troops on the night of the 11th-12th June. In consequence it was only possible to take off 1,500 British and French troops. H.M. Destroyer Harvester embarked men from Veules (north-east of St. Valery) under particu- larly difficult conditions. The strong support provided by the Royal Air Force undoubtedly prevented severe losses during this operation.

Other Operations in Home Waters.

8. Enemy M.T.Bs., apparently operating from Ymuiden and the Hook of Holland, attacked the Downs guardship Holdfast on the night of the 6th-7th June, and a northbound convoy escorted by H.M.S. Vivien off Örfordness in the early hours of the 10th June. Neither of these attacks was successful, although in the latter at least seven torpedoes were fired.

Five M.T.Bs. in Boulogne on the 12th June were successfully attacked by aircraft, one being sunk and two damaged. British M.T.Bs. operating off Ymuiden and Boulogne failed to make contact with the enemy.

9. H.M. Armed Merchant Cruiser Carinthia when on patrol 80 miles N.W. of Ireland was torpedoed by a submarine in the afternoon of the 6th June. She was taken in tow by noon on the 7th, but sank that evening. Two officers and 2 men were killed by the explosion; the remainder of the crew (about 300) were taken off by vessels sent to her assistance.

On the morning of the 13th June H.M. Armed Merchant Cruiser Scotstoun was torpedoed and sunk by a U-Boat off Barra Head; 2 officers and 4 men are missing.

The Polish submarine Orzel has failed to return from patrol and must be presumed to have been lost.

H.M. Trawler Sisapon was mined and sunk off Harwich on the morning of the 12th June. No details of casualties have been reported.

Mediterranean.

10. Since the entry of Italy into the war the Mediterranean Fleet has been engaged in a sweep in the Eastern Mediterranean.

H.M.S. Calypso was torpedoed and sunk by an enemy submarine in the Eastern Mediterranean on the 13th June. One officer and 38 ratings are missing.

Enemy warships in Tobruk were bombed by the R.A.F. on the 12th June. A ship, believed to be the old Italian coast defence ship San Giorgio, was set on fire and had to be beached; another ship and the naval jetty were set on fire.

Enemy Attack on Seaborne Trade.

11. Nine British ships and one fishing vessel have been sunk during the period, a total of 43,000 tons. In addition, three ships, of 20,000 tons total, have been damaged by submarine attack. Of the sinkings, two ships (5,000 tons) were sunk by U-Boat, four ships (10,000 tons) were mined, one ship (3,000 tons) and a fishing vessel were sunk by aircraft, and two ships (25,000 tons) by surface ship. In addition, two small Belgian ships and a Greek vessel were sunk by mine, and a Finnish vessel was sunk by U-boat.

Details are given in Appendix I.

Protection of Seaborne Trade.

A total of 697 ships, including 86 Allied and 29 neutral, were convoyed during the week without loss. Eight armed merchant cruisers, 6 destroyers and 17 sloops and corvettes were employed on escort duties. Since the start of the war 24,697 vessels (including 1,649 Allied and 3,192 neutral) have been convoyed, of which 32 or 1 in 771 have been lost.

Imports to the United Kingdom by ships in convoy during the week ending the 8th June were 1,201,535 tons, the highest total for any week since October.

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